"In the heart of the ancient Near East (modern Middle East) and at a crossroads between once mighty powers such as Assyria to the east and Egypt to the south is a tiny piece of land -- roughly the siz
Qumran has been the subject of recent controversy, with a number of scholars challenging Roland de Vaux's interpretation of the site as a sectarian settlement. In these updated and annotated essays, J
The Dead Sea Scrolls are among the most interesting and important archaeological discoveries ever made, and the excavation of the Qumran community itself has provided invaluable information about Juda
A new account of the famous site and story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman EmpireTwo thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children—the last holdo
The dramatic story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman Empire, as revealed by the archaeology of its famous site Two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children--the last holdouts of the revolt against Rome following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple--reportedly took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman army. This dramatic event, which took place on top of Masada, a barren and windswept mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, spawned a powerful story of Jewish resistance that came to symbolize the embattled modern State of Israel. Incorporating the latest findings, Jodi Magness, an archaeologist who has excavated at Masada, explains what happened there--and what it has come to mean since. Featuring numerous illustrations, this is an engaging exploration of an ancient story that continues to grip the imagination today.
This book provides an introduction to the archaeology and history of ancient Palestine – modern Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories – from the destruction of Solomon's temple in 586 BCE to the Muslim conquest in 640 CE. Special attention is paid to the archaeology of Jerusalem and the Second Temple period, in the time of Herod the Great and Jesus. For each period, the book offers a historical background for the Mediterranean world and the ancient Near East, as well as the events in Palestine. Major sites such as Masada, Caesarea Maritima and Petra are examined in archaeological and historical detail, along with the material culture – coins, pottery, glass and stone vessels – of each period. This book provides a thorough overview of the archaeology of this historically vibrant part of the world.
"In Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit Jodi Magness unearths 'footprints' buried in both archaeological and literary evidence to shed new light on Jewish daily life in Palestine from the mid-first century b
Hanan Eshel (z"l) was a prolific scholar in the field of Dead Sea Scrolls, Classical Archaeology of the Near East and many other topics. During his terminal illness, friends and colleagues got togethe
